Haven't had the Drappier yet but my note on the 2005 Yarden Blanc de Blanc is below. While not quite as encompassingly luxurious as "true' Champagne, it's amazing (especially at around $20).

Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Blanc De Blancs, 2005: Fortunately this wine finally made it to our shores as it is easily a YH Best Buy and the best substitute for true kosher Champagne at a much lower price. After successive (and successful) releases in 1998, 1999 and 2000, the last marketed vintage of this wine was the delicious 2001 vintage. I am not sure why they waited four years to make another, but am happy they finally did! I have also heard rumors of a late disgorged 2000 version which I’d love to lay my hands on and compare with my last remaining bottle of “regular” 2000, so if anyone has any info on that, please let me know. If I needed to sum up this wine in one word it would be an easy task (even for me) – delicious. Grapefruit, lime, apple, melon and hints of pineapple abound in this delicious wine which is bone dry and loaded with crisp acidity. Toasted yeasty brioche and sharp, long-lasting bubbles make this wine a delight and an awesome match with almost any dish you care to throw its way. Stock up while you can since, at around $20 a bottle, it won’t be around for long.

I know the non-kosher Drappier Carte D'Or is good to very good, and quite different from the Yarden BdB. Although I know these NVs can be tricky given the fact that you don't know exactly how old they are or how well they've been kept/how long, etc., but I found that the regular Drappier was much, much better on day two than when it was first opened. Since the bubbles last a long time, you don't have to worry about it going flat if you have a good stopper and put it in a fridge after opening and trying a glass or two. If budgets allow, I would suggest buying a couple of bottles at least and playing with the air-time, because it's a wine that can come across as very tightly wound and closed if it's not ready. For us, it took on a lot of depth and creaminess on day two, after showing very citrusy and sharp on day one.

The Yarden does have that toasted brioche thing going on, but it's structure is not going to be as rigidly majestic as a Champagne from the region. Still dollar for dollar you guys may be right that the Yarden is on par with the the best.

Totally agree with Andrew, The blanc is lovely and rich and layered, while the d'or is also lovely but a touch less so than the blanc. I have never had a lovely Sacy, ever! Yossie swears by it - so there you have it. The Yarden BdB is nice, but the Drappier in my opinion is richer and more mineral and has more bite, but again, that is where I and Yossie disagree a bit.

Drappier Carte D’Or Champagne (mevushal) – Score: A-This is the second of two Drappier wines that Royal is releasing. We tasted the other one – Carte Blance and liked that one very much.The wine is a blend of the traditional Champagne grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. The nose on the light gold and salmon colored wine is starts off with yeast, nice mineral, bright lemon, apple, and toast. The mouth on the medium bodied wine starts off with white peach, cherry, brioche, and a lovely mousse of small bubbles. The finish is long and tart with toast lingering.

NV Drappier Champagne Carte Blanche Brut (France, Champagne) – Score: A–The nose light gold colored wine is explosive with rich toast, fluffy white chocolate, herb, grapefruit, bright green apple, malting yeast, and minerality. The mouth on this medium bodied wine is super rich with an energizer bunny small bubble mousse, more toast and brioche, nice yeast, rich herb, super bright and tart green apple that mellows down to a creamy apple sauce, and grapefruit. The mid palate has super bright acid, herb, grapefruit, white chocolate, and mineral. The finish is long and rich with more small bubble mousse, white chocolate, tart green apples, herb, more yeast, and mineral. This is a lovely and balanced wine that does like more time in the glass. Even better leave a few glasses of wine in the bottle, cap it with a normal cork and try it the next day – quite lovely!

Indeed, it is out and will be at Gabe's shop on Thursday where we will be tasting it one way or the other - hint hint Gabe!!!!! The 2009 ElRom is also out and about, not sure about the tasting of that one -

Just tasted the 2007 Yarden Blanc de Blan: Score: A- to AAre u kidding me! A- to A a filthy wine with intense fruit, peach and apple cobbler, brioche, and nice toast that gives way to ripe green and yellow apple, crazy insane ripe lemon curd. The medium mouth is wow in a single word. Thanks to Gabriel Geller for selling me the bottle, and sharing it all around. The mouth is insanely ripe and intense and ripe with ripe baked anjou pear, freakish assault vehicle of acidity and small mousse bubbles, with lovely yeast and brace for it - mouth coating tanin!!The finish is long and tart with insane grapefruit, bitter and rich grapefruit pith, and lemon zest. Bravo!!!!

Did some tastings this past week with Victor Schoenfeld who confirmed there is some 2000 Blanc de Blanc planned for a late disgorge but no hard timetable for release yet. Sparkling Rose was offered and previewed to a number of Israeli wine writers a while back but there is no hard timetable for its release either (although it should be soon).

Yossie Horwitz wrote:Did some tastings this past week with Victor Schoenfeld who confirmed there is some 2000 Blanc de Blanc planned for a late disgorge but no hard timetable for release yet. Sparkling Rose was offered and previewed to a number of Israeli wine writers a while back but there is no hard timetable for its release either (although it should be soon).

While we're on the topic of bubbly, I just found this bottle from Carmel's 1963 vintage. I would seriously doubt that it is at all drinkable, but just out of curiosity is anyone at all familiar with this bottle? It says on the label: Carmel the President's Sparkling Wine, and the label claims it was made using the Champagne method.

"The President" was indeed for many years Carmel's main if not their only sparkler. A 1963 bottle is without a doubt absolutely undrinkable. I also recall that it never was particularly tasty except may be for cocktails such as kir royal...

Thanks for the info Gabriel. Before I saw that bottle I thought kosher wine which wasn't sweet syrup was a relatively recent phenomena in Israel. I didn't realize that they were making Champagne style wines in Israel 50 years ago. I guess I'll keep the bottle as a collector's piece.